Tag: Philip Davies

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what circumstances the Independent Police Complaints Commission can refer a case back to the police.

Mike Penning

Police forces are required to refer (i) all Death and Serious Injury (DSI) matters and (ii) complaints and conduct matters that meet certain criteria, as set out in regulations, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC assesses each referral on a case-by-case basis, by considering the seriousness of the matter and any relevant public interest factors. The IPCC may decide that an investigation is not required, in which case the matter will be referred back to the police force to decide what action to take. Alternatively, if the IPCC decides that the matter requires investigation, the IPCC must make a determination to undertake an independent investigation, an investigation under the supervision or management of the IPCC, or can refer back to the police force to investigate.

In 2013 the Home Secretary announced a commitment to transfer resources to the IPCC to enable it to expand to undertake all serious and sensitive matters involving the police. The IPCC is currently undertaking a change programme to deliver this expansion. In 2013/14 the IPCC commenced 109 independent investigations whilst 241 were opened in 2014/15. The IPCC is on course to meet its target of delivering between 400 and 700 independent investigations in 2015/16.

Reforms in the Policing and Crime Bill will build on this, enhancing the overall level of independence across IPCC investigations by removing managed and supervised investigations. Where the IPCC decides not to refer a matter back to the police force for investigation, it must undertake an independent investigation unless it considers that a directed investigation, a new form of investigation established by the Bill, is more appropriate.

Information on how many cases referred to the IPCC have been referred back to the police for investigation is available on the IPCC’s website for the majority of the last six years (link: http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/page/archive-corporate-reports-and-plans). I will ask the IPCC to write to the Honourable Member, providing fuller information, and will ask for this response to be made available in the House Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential costs and benefits of introducing an import tax on coal and gas imported from outside the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

The UK is part of the EU Single market which has a common EU tariff policy which applies to all imports. Import tariffs are set by the EU. The UK has no legal ability to set its own import tariffs.

EU tariffs rates form part of our World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments and apply to all WTO member countries. Under WTO rules increases to EU tariffs above the level committed to, or ‘bound’ rate, require us to give compensation to affected countries (in the form of lower tariffs on other products). Any potential benefit of an import tariff increase may therefore harm another UK sector.

The latest version of the EU tariff was published in Official Journal to the EU L285 on 30 October 2015 (Council implementing Regulation EU No 1101/2014 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC|) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff). Chapter 27 covers the import of fuel including coal and gas. The import of coal has a 0% import duty and the import of gas ranges from 0% to 8% depending on the type and usage.

WTO rules, do however allow countries to impose import tariffs when goods are being “dumped” e.g. sold on our market at below manufacturing cost price. If there is evidence that imports of coal and gas are being dumped the European Commission could propose imposing anti-dumping duties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders in cases flagged as involving domestic violence were (a) remanded in custody and (b) released on court bail by offence in the last year for which information is available.

Mike Penning

The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on the health benefits and risks of male circumcision.

George Freeman

The Department has not conducted or commissioned any specific research on the health effects of male circumcision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people of each ethnicity were sent to prison in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous

The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales at Crown Courts, by ethnicity, from 2011 to 2015, can be found in the sentencing data tool contained in the annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication, linked below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015

It is not possible to present a representative picture of ethnicity at magistrates’ courts because data on ethnicity at magistrates’ courts is not recorded for all offences.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional financial assistance is available to students whose maintenance loans do not fully cover the costs of accommodation; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of students who are so affected.

Joseph Johnson

The Government’s policy is that maintenance support is provided to cover a range of student expenditure, and is only a contribution to students’ costs. Maintenance support is linked to parental income, to ensure that students from lower income backgrounds receive the highest rates of loan, and for new students beginning study this academic year, maintenance support has increased by up to 10.3% on the previous year.

In addition to their maintenance support, students may be eligible for financial assistance from their university. In 2016/17, £745 million is expected to be spent by universities on measures to support the access and success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including through bursaries and fee waivers. Such assistance is over and above the other sources of income students may have such as their families or from paid work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the self-esteem of female police officers of having to wear a uniform.

Brandon Lewis

Decisions on uniform requirements for different roles within their force are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

The police remain operationally independent and it is for Chief Constables and PCCs locally to decide how to best equip their staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much coal the UK carbon fibre industry has used per annum in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Jesse Norman

(a) The table below gives the amount of coal used for non-power generating purposes:

	UK coal demand for non-electricity generating purposes(1) (thousand tonnes)
2006	10,156
2007	10,158
2008	10,577
2009	9,037
2010	9,827
2011	9,658
2012	9,141
2013	10,139
2014	10,021
2015	8,174

(1) Includes coal used for heat generation, coke manufacture, blast furnaces, patent fuel manufacture, energy used in coal extraction and final consumption by industry, transport, domestic and other users.

Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) table 2.4 available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

(b) BEIS does not hold data at that level. BEIS cannot disaggregate coal used by the carbon fibre industry from coal used by all industries.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 10530, what the job titles are of those officials undertaking the assessment of the grant funding for Action on Smoking and Health; and what transparency measures have been built into the assessment process.

Jane Ellison

The assessment of the grant application for funding from Action on Smoking and Health is undertaken by members of the Tobacco Control policy team.

The assessment process is the same for all grants awarded under Section 64 powers. The assessment process uses standard business case criteria and consists of a Strategic Case, Economic Case, Financial Case, Commercial Case and Project Governance.

The assessment is reviewed by the Department’s Voluntary Sector Grants Hub to ensure that the grant proposal is affordable within Departmental budgets; relevant Efficiency Review Group Controls have been considered;the grant has been assessed as delivering value for money and the grant is considered to be appropriate for the Grant funding route rather than procurement.

A grant application is currently under assessment and a decision on funding has not yet been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the delivery agreement and agreed deliverables between his Department and the Chartered Institute for Trading Standards.

Jane Ellison

The Department has a contract with itsa Ltd, the business arm of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, for the enforcement of tobacco legislation and support for local authorities. The award letter and supporting documents for this contract are available online at:

https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive/contract/1072169/

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